How colleges can assist you in making career decisions

As a kid, chances are you were asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Perhaps you made some adults chuckle when you squealed out, "an ice cream man" or "a baseball player."

When you are young, any kind of answer would suffice, because hey, at least you had an answer.

As you age and get into high school that question becomes more and more loaded. It's a pressure-filled question for any 18 year old. When you are entering college, the thing you are bound to get asked the most from family and friends is, "what major are you entering?"

While the idea of picking a profession before you are even legal age to have a cold one can be intimidating, colleges are equipped to help you narrow your professional route ideas and get you prepared to secure a job in that field.

"We provide full-service career preparation," said John D. Warren, Associate Dean of Career Services and Internships of Cornerstone. "We help students prepare resumes and get ready for job interviews, and help them decide on careers."

For those having difficulty focusing on a career path, they can pay a visit to this department and use an assessment tool that uses the student's personality, interest skills, and values and offers them a few career directions they can take based on the results.

Not only are students able to take these kind of assessments, but the department also offers knowledge on industries seeing higher job growth.

"Computers are making a comeback," Warren said. "There's the Information Technology field, and analyst-type roles, web design, and web maintenance."

Undecided or on-the-fence students don't always need to take assessments to discover the kind of career path they'd match well with. Warren said he finds many students just like to talk to someone about their big decision. By just having a conversation, students can look at the options and get an idea of the kind of opportunities out there industry by industry.

It's not just current Cornerstone students benefiting from the department's guidance, either. Alumni will also communicate with Warren and his department when they find difficulty in securing a job. They will often look at other angles they can pursue with their degree, or talk about the advantages and disadvantages of graduate school.

Picking a career path is a major decision and it helps to better understand career trends, best resume and job interview practices, and how your own self can affect your decision. Don't hesitate to reach out to the proper department at your school to run an evaluation or to just talk about your future.